Automatic temperature regulator



Dec. 18, 1928. 1,695,309

' J. H. P. woon l AUTOMATIC TEMPERATURE REGULATOR Filed NOV. 19, 1927 t M ff MII /NVE/v TOR ./0/7/7 p. VVOOQ( TroR/vfv' Patented Dec. 18, 1928.

JOHN rr. r. Woon, or ALBANY, NEW Yoan;

accionario TEMPERATURE REGULATOR;

Application led November 19, 1927. Serial No. 234,4.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

My invention relates to automatic temperature regulators and particularly to means for maintaining-a uniform temperature in buildings or the like which are heated by means of the circulation of vapor. l

In automatically maintaining a uniform building temperature it has been the usual practice to distribute thermostats throughout the building which are electrically connected to means designed to increase the rate of fuel consumption in the heating unit, and which, ordinarily, cut said means into or out of operation when the temperature, at any thermostat falls below or exceeds acertain predetermined limit. With this system it isl quite diicult to obtainV a very close regulation. The actual temperature in the radiation system itself varies through a comparatively wide range, and a time-temperature curve shows peaks and depressions far removed from the mean which, if uniformly maintained, would be sufficient to keep the atmosphere of the buildin Aat the desired temperatre. In other wor s, such a system of regulation creates surges of temperature in the radiation system which involve the unnecessary consumption of large quantities of fuel and, is not, therefore, hi hly eicient.

Again, in many buil 'ngs where an engineer is always present in the boiler room, the method of temperature'regulation is purely manual. In such cases, the room temperature'in the building is maintained somewhere near the desired average by periodically generating a steam pressure of several pounds, as indicated by the boiler room gauge, and thereafter permitting it to fall to zero. Such s stems are far from economical and require t e unnecessary burning of a great quantity It is quite possible at certain times of the year to heat a building by passing water vapor through the radiation system at a temperature considerably below the normal boiling point of water. This -is particularly true where some means of creatingbavacuum in the radiation system and the oiler is used.

In such a case the pressure -in the boiler is reduced and the normal boiling point of the Water is correspondin ly lowered. Where the vapor can beinaintained in the system for prolonged periods at a substantially constant temperature, and below the normal boiling point of water, the room temperature can be .maintained -with absolute uniformity and with a minimum of fuel consumption.

My invention contemplates such 'a system of temperature regulation including a very simple device which may be applied directly to the boiler, and which will be of great value in maintaining a uniform temperature throughout the building, especially at 'those' provide a device which will uniformly maintain` the fluid in the radiation system itself at the temperature required to maintain the desired temperature in the atmosphere of the building. Another object is to provide a means for use in connection with a vapor heating system whereby at certain seasons of the year, the desired temperature of the atmosphere in the building may be maintained substantially uniform without the necessity of creating a steam pressure in the heating unit. A further object is to provide a cheap and simple device of this character adapted for direct attachment to any boiler and which will function with substantiallyany type of thermostat. A still further object is to provide a device which may be used as an `auxiliary regulator in connectionwith any other system or means for controlling the atmospheric temperature in a building.

With these'objects in view my invention includes the novelelements and the combinations and arrangements of elements described below and illustrated in the accompanying drawings in whicliv, l.

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of my device;

Fig. 2 is a-section of Fig. 1 in the broken plane 2 2; andl Fig. 3 i's amore or less typical diagram illustrating the electrical circuits from the thermal element to a motor operated blower or thev like. v y

Referring to the drawings, my device in its preferred form comprises a hollow casting, 1, comprising two, vertically extending, hollow legs, 3 and 4, which are connected ,at the top by a transverse hollow portion, 5, and at the bottom by a 4hollow portion, 6. lThe rear, central portion of the transverse part, 5, is provided with an internally threaded I' boss or, nipple, 7, and the rear of the transverse portion, 6, is also provided with a similar nipple, 8. Threaded into these nipplesV are pipes, 9'and 10, respectivel leading into pipe, 10. The top of the casting directly over l the boiler, 11, below the level o the water, 12',

therein. When the water is heated, a circulation is created 1 outwardly ,from the boiler through the pipe, 9, into the casting, 1, thence,

downwardly through the vertical legs of the casting and back to the boiler through the the vertical legs, 3 and fl, is provided with threaded openings, one of which is designed to receive a .thermostatic element, 13,'and the other one of which'is'designed toreceive an ordinary thermometer, 14. When a .circula- 'tionhas been created within the casting, 1, the

thermometer, y14, will indicate the temperature of the Water inthe boiler, 11. j The thermometer, 14, is merely used for Calibrating the thermostat as will be later explained.

. The thermostatic element, 13, may be 4of any standard type adapted for adjustment to function at various temperatures. In the type illustrated-thecylinder, 15, is filled vwith some liquid which will expand when the temperature is raised. The expansion of the liquid forces a diaphragm therein upwardly against the compression of the spring, 16,. .and this upward movement by means of the levers, 17 may be used to tilt a tube, 1 8 ,con-g' terminals, 19 and 20, therein, at oneend. This` taining mercury, and havingv electri tube is pivoted at 21. In Athe desi shown, contraction of the liquid in cylinder, 15,

caused by a fall in temperature, tilts the tube,

18, to the position shown in Fig. 1. The mer.- cury therein flows to the-lower end ofthe tube, which in this case is at the right, andformsv a connection between theterminals, 19

'l and 20, 'completing an electric circuit through wires, 22 and 23.

Referrmg to-Fig. A3' the tube, '18, vis represented as tipped inthe opposite direction so that the mercur in the tube flows away' from the termina s, 19 and 20, andthe circuit is then broken. Inthisgure, 11 represents the boiler, 24 represents the grate therein, 25

represents generally the ash pits or-chamber below the grate, 26 is a blower which is directconnected to the motor, 27, and which isthe radiation system, but when a maintenance of steam pressure ltherein would produce a great deal of unnecessary heat, my ldevice will be .found of the greatest value. t such times, it may be ascertained by experimental 'determination that the building is satisfactorilyheated whenthe'water in the boiler is maintained at around,vsay 190 degrees. The

thermostatis then set to operate when the thermometer, 14, indicates the required boiler temperature." Any difference in boiler temperature is immediately reflected by the reading 'of the thermometer,'and the water from the boiler flowing in both directionsV from pipe, 9, through the casting,.1, and about the thermometeran'd the thermostatie element, will immediately cause thelthermostat to cut the blower, oil or gas'burner, 26, into or out vof operation, as the case` may be. Thus,'the

temperature of the water inthe boilermay be maintained within one or two degrees of the desired point.

TheI particular shape 'of the casting, 1, is

not of materiall importance except thatf itshould beprovided with-agpassage through which there will be a continuous flow from the boiler about the thermometer and the thermal element of the automatic switch. .In other `words, particularly around these elements-an unrestrictedtlow should be provided and 'there should be no pockets wherein water may remain stationary. For this reason I prefer -that'theo ening in the transverse portion, 5, where t ewater entersv from the Yboiler -should be somewhat lower` and should` be equally spaced from the points where .the-thermometer and thermostat enter the casting.' Likewise, the. water passa e should slo e generally from the inlet to t e outlet oft e casting -as shown in Fig. 1. Y

f-Whilemy device is particularlyadapte for obtaining a very close regulation of building temperatures at such times when. no pressure is necessary. upon the holler, 1t 1s equally well suited as a semi-automatic regu-l lator when, some substantial rsteam pressurev is reqmred In any case it is merely a matter of calibratin the thermostat so that it will'function at t e proper temperature. For

example, it mayfbefnoted that an outdoor temperature of 18 kdegrees lFahrenheit re.-

quires a boiler water temperature of 215 degrecs Fahrenheit to adequately heat vthe uilding. The thermostat may be immediately set to operate the electric switch vwhen the boiler temperature falls. below this point, and thereafter the operation is automatic. Where the device is equipped with a sensitive thermostat, a regulation of water tem erature in the boiler may be maintained within two or three degrees of the desired point. Where the fuel consumption is controlled by thermostatsactuated b room` temperatures no such degree of regu ation is'possible, and conse uent y `the rate of fuel consumption is consi erably less uniform and the system is less eilicient.

While I have described and illustrated my invention in its preferred embodiment it is to be understood that the words which I have used are words of description rather than of limitation and that changes within the purview of the appended claims may be made without departing from the truescope and spirit'of my invention-in its broadest `.therein and adapted to permit a circulation of water from the boiler therethrough, an adjustable thermostat' having its thermal element within said ring, and a thermometer mounted on said ring adapted to indicate the temperature of the water therein at which said thermostat will operate and providing a means whereby saidthermostat may be adjusted to operate at adeinite predetermined water` temperature. p

2. A thermostat Asupport comprising a hollow, metal ring havng-openings` in oppo- 'I sitely disposed portions thereof providing an entrance and an exit for water circulated through said ring, and having spaced open'- ings adjacent said water entrance adapted to: receive a thermostat and a Calibrating thermometer therefor.

3. A thermostat carrier comprising a hollow element having openings therein for the ingress and egress of water, and provided with spaced water passages substantially symmetrically ndisposed about the ingress opening.

4. A thermostat carrier comprising a hollow structure having openings therein for the ingress and egress of water and enclosing separate water passages diverging from the ingress opening to permit a circulation of water about a thermostat' and a calibrating thermometer therefor having elements pro iecting into said passages on opposite sides respectively, of the ingress openlng.

5. The combinationfwith a thermostat and a Calibrating thermometer therefor, of a common support enclosing a water passage into which the thermostat and thermometer project; said support being provided with anopening for the ingress of water to said` passage positioned to permit a substantially equal divergence of flow about the thermometer and thermostat respectively.

JoHNH. r. woon. 

